Category: Melanoma Stories
Kelly McWhinney's Melanoma Journey of Perseverance and Perspective
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 13 May 2024 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, Prevention, Science, Treatment
In March of 2022, Kelly McWhinney was a busy mother to her one and two-year-old daughters Mia and Blakely. Life was as hectic as expected for the 27-year-old, but when she noticed that a mole on her back was suddenly changing, she decided to call her dermatologist.
Melanoma Awareness Month: Ways to Get Involved
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 29 April 2024 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, Melanoma Stories, News, Prevention, Science, Treatment
Melanoma Awareness Month, held each May, is an occasion to connect and be in community with others who have been touched by melanoma. With this month brings the opportunity to join forces with other melanoma advocates to raise awareness of melanoma research, the importance of early detection, and the many...
Why I Step – Jeff Heaser
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 18 April 2024 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, Melanoma Stories, Prevention, Science, Treatment
In the summer of 2017, Jeff Heaser's eldest son, Jake, received a devastating diagnosis: Stage 4 melanoma. Over the following several years to treat his melanoma, Jake underwent multiple surgeries, radiation treatment, BRAF targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and countless blood tests and scans through Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
Overcoming Melanoma and Finding Purpose: Brittanny Groover's Story
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 21 March 2024 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, Prevention, Treatment
Growing up as a child in the 2000s and even later into her teens and early 20s, Brittanny Groover wanted what many other young girls and women want: to be tan. Whether it was using tanning beds with her high school friends or laying out by the pool with her...
Toni English's Journey from Mucosal Melanoma Patient to Advocate
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 28 February 2024 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, Science, Treatment
In the five years since overcoming Stage 4 mucosal melanoma, Toni English has found her life’s passion advocating for patients and families and championing research to answer the many questions that surround this rare melanoma.
Recordings from MRA's 2024 Patient Forum
27 February 2024 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, Melanoma Stories, Prevention, Science, Treatment
MRA’s 2024 Patient Forum brought together melanoma patients, survivors, advocates, and their loved ones to provide lay-friendly, state-of-the-science education and promote collaboration.
Improving Communication With Your Melanoma Care Team
20 February 2024 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, Melanoma Stories, Treatment
Good communication is always challenging but can be especially so when you are undergoing treatment for melanoma. That’s because navigating our modern healthcare system is often an exercise in decoding complex jargon and knowing the right questions to ask while managing stress and other strong emotions.
Where Innovation Meets Impact: MRA 2023 Annual Report
23 January 2024 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, Melanoma Stories, News, Policy, Prevention, Science, Treatment
MRA is a world leader in advancing transformational science that has caused paradigm shifts in what it means to be diagnosed with and treated for melanoma. The innovative research we support isn’t just changing science — it’s giving patients more treatment options that translate to longer, fuller lives.
Overcoming Brain Mets & LMD: Sean Wachter’s Melanoma Journey
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 22 January 2024 In Melanoma Stories, Science, Treatment
Ten years ago, Sean Wachter never expected to have a loving spouse, children, or a life that feels worth living. That’s because, by his own admission, he’s done more living in the past 7 years than he did in the prior 31 as he overcame stage 4 melanoma with leptomeningeal disease...
Registration Now Open: MRA's 2024 Patient Forum
11 December 2023 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, Melanoma Stories, News, Policy, Prevention, Science, Treatment
Registration for MRA's Melanoma Exchange Patient Forum, held in-person in Washington DC and virtually on Wednesday, February 21, is now open. Register now to hear from leading experts in the melanoma field and have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss, and network with other people who are going through their own melanoma journey.